


wash the sorrow from off my skin

by spideywriting (catch_you_later)



Series: Friends & Family (Platovember 2020) [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Food makes everything better, Gen, Hope, Hurt/Comfort, Platovember 2020, Post-Endgame, Recovery, Sandwiches, Sweet, Tony Stark Lives, day 17: delight, day 19: lightness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:14:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27592574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catch_you_later/pseuds/spideywriting
Summary: Avengers managed to bring back everyone and life is slowly returning to normal. Mr. Delmar has his daughter back again, but a certain vigilante has yet to visit his shop.Or, Peter Parker meets Mr. Delmar for the first time after the Snap was reversed.
Relationships: Delmar & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Friends & Family (Platovember 2020) [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1998898
Comments: 20
Kudos: 121





	wash the sorrow from off my skin

**Author's Note:**

> Un-betaed.
> 
> Here's some fluff to counterbalance the angst from the last one. I hope you like it! 😊

It felt like it could break so easily, this newfound happiness.

It had been five years and most people had already given up hope. But then the Avengers had gone and done the impossible, bringing back all those who had been Snapped, and the whole universe changed in just a moment. They had their loved ones, their hope, their _happiness_ back again.

It was fragile, this happiness. They all were a little afraid that all this was just a good dream, a glass castle ready to be shattered to pieces. So even though they were overjoyed, they were also very careful and tentative, waiting for this beautiful mirage to disappear.

As time passed on, it became clear that the Snapped were here to stay and the tentative hope and joy solidified into a beautiful, blazing happiness. They embraced their loved ones uninhibitedly, without the fear that they would disappear again. Their eyes shone, their smiles were wider and their steps floated with a buoyancy that had been glaringly missing before.

The air was clear once more, the ashy mist burnt away by the warm, powerful rays of the sun.

* * *

Their recovery process this time was faster. The Snapped were a little confused of course, and lost in a world that had moved on without them, but they had the ones who were left behind helping them adjust. But this time nobody had died, which helped the recovery process along tremendously. And soon enough, the life was as hectic as it had been before the Snap.

Mr. Delmar, for one, was absolutely _delighted_ to get his usual clientele back. It had surprised him how much he had missed some of his Snapped regulars during the years they were gone. From that nice office lady to the kind abuelo to the smartass brat, all of his regulars had a special place in his heart, and all of them brightened his day as they stopped by.

But most of all, he was overwhelmed with the happiness of getting his dearest Sofía, the light of his life, back again. The gratitude he had for the Avenger was eternal and boundless; they’d brought back the real purpose in his life. Sure, helping the community recover was satisfying and purposeful, and for a while it had been enough, but getting Sofía back… That was getting a big part of _himself_ back; his identity as a father, his reason for working as hard as he does, his reason for _living_. Living for her memory would have never felt as good as living for _her_. And he was absolutely overjoyed that he got to do that again.

There weren’t any dementor chocolate bowls on the counter anymore, but instead there was an extra spring in Mr. Delmar’s step, a brightness in his customers’ eyes that hadn’t been there before. There was also Murphy, who had been snapped as well, perched on his counter once more. The loss of Sofía had been so great that it had almost eclipsed everything else, but now that things were alright again, he could admit – if only to himself – that he had missed Murph as well.

The doorbell rang as a new customer slipped in, momentarily letting in a ray of the unperturbed sunlight.

Mr. Delmar couldn’t see their form because of the backlight, but it seemed that Murph recognized them since he uncharacteristically jumped off from the counter to go and greet the new arrival. A couple seconds later Mr. Delmar found out why.

“Hi Murph! Good to see you,” a very familiar young voice said.

Mr. Delmar grinned widely.

“Parker! You’re a sight for sore eyes!”

“Hi Mr. Delmar!” the kid greeted brightly and the youthful exuberance and slightly nervous energy radiating from him hadn’t changed a bit despite dying and having to adjust the world that moved without him. True, there were dark circles under his eyes, and his eyes were a bit dimmer than Mr. Delmar remembered, but the kid still had that same aura of innocence, the same genuine friendliness he had had all those years ago. A wave of relief washed over Mr. Delmar, washing away some of his sorrow and concern that he’d still been holding onto. Kids should stay kids as long as they could, and Mr. Delmar was unfathomably grateful that this one still could, despite Spider-Man and everything else he’d gone through.

“Number 5 with pickles, flat, right?” Mr. Delmar asked, hiding his relief and happiness under a gruff tone, which didn’t seem to fool the kid one bit, judging from the fond sparkle in his eyes.

“You remembered my favorite!” Peter beamed up at him, clearly delighted by the fact. He’d picked Murph up and was now petting the purring, contented cat.

“Of course I did, brat. You’re not easy to forget.” The words came a little heavier than Mr. Delmar intended, and Peter’s face softened in compassion.

In an uncharacteristic show of affection, Mr. Delmar reached out over the counter and ruffled the kid’s hair. “Now go get your dumb gummy worms, _el cerebro_.”

Peter shot him another fond, compassionate smile and deposited Murph back on his perch before bouncing off to the candy isle. Mr. Delmar harrumphed and started on the kid’s sandwich.

He’d barely started stuffing the sandwich, when the kid zoomed back, the usual order of three packages of gummy worms in hand.

“Hey, could you make the Italian BLT one as well? I’m going to the Tower later today and I’d like to surprise Mr. Stark,” the kid asked.

“Sure thing.” He hadn’t said it, but he’d assumed as much and had started on Stark’s sandwich at the same time as the kid’s. Even if the kid hadn’t been going to the Tower, an extra sandwich never hurt anyone.

The kid moved to spoil Murph again while he waited.

“So. School starting up again?” Mr. Delmar asked while he arranged the tomatoes.

“Yeah. It’s a bit of a mess, but they’re doing their best. Besides, it’s nice to be doing something again and seeing friends rather than being cooped up at home,” the kid answered.

Mr. Delmar could see very clearly how a kid as energetic as this one would have trouble staying at home.

“It’ll sort itself soon enough. Here’re the sandwiches,” he handed the bag to Peter. The kid inhaled exaggeratedly deeply and sighed in contentment. Mr. Delmar shook his head fondly, but felt a faint glow of pride light in his chest all the same. 

“The best scent ever. I can't wait to eat mine! How much?” the kid asked, digging around his backpack for his wallet. Mr. Delmar swiftly waved his money away. “No charge. I know what you and Stark did for us. I figure you’ve deserved these sandwiches more than anyone else in New York.”

The kid’s eyes widened in shock.

“You know?!” he whispered.

“You’re not that subtle, Parker,” Mr. Delmar chuckled fondly, but upon seeing a flicker of fear in the kid’s eyes, he grew serious. “I won’t tell anyone, Peter, I swear. Your secret is safe.”

The kid’s shoulders sagged in relief, then smiled ruefully. “Aww, man, Mr. Stark’s gonna murder me.”

Mr. Delmar laughed outright at that.

“No he won’t. He almost murdered me though, when I told him I know, but luckily we’re on the same team here. Now, go along, and say hi to Stark for me, will you?”

Peter smiled back and said, “Will do!”, scratching Murph one more time before bouncing out of the door. Mr Delmar sighed in contentment, another small burden falling off his shoulders.

Outside the sun was still shining, and slowly the world was knitting itself back together. It was all going to be okay.

_Wash the sorrow from off my skin_

_And show me how to be whole again_

**Author's Note:**

> The title and the last words are from a Linkin Park song called Castle of Glass. 
> 
> This concludes my Sandwich Shop series for now. I hope you liked it!  
> Please drop a comment and/or a kudo if you did, I greatly appreciate those! :D


End file.
